It might be interesting to hear a bit more detailed explanation of what about the BK-9 OS didn't work out for you. It might help Roland develop more user friendly OS's, for one thing, and perhaps allow some of us the opportunity to explain how we somehow have overcome these problems, or found workarounds for them.

I am continually surprised at how some owners seem to have missed out on some of the shortcuts and alternative methods the BK-9 OS allows. There are many that want to be able to do things the way they USED to, on arrangers built by a completely different manufacturer. I find this a bit perplexing. I doubt many who own Korg's or Yamaha's, when I describe something that Roland's do that I find hard to figure out on a Korg or Yamaha, would think I made a good decision dropping them because I could not get used to their 'system'.

Add to that that most of the easiest editing options involve the iPad apps (or access options really, as the apps don't really ADD anything not already in the OS) which most haven't tried. But, be that as it may, it would be interesting to see what it is that proves so perplexing, and whether we can explain our solution to them.

Personally, I think that an awful lot of problems start because many older players want to work arrangers the way they used to, in the days when arrangers were quite simple devices with so few options, the ability to run them entirely from the front panel was easy. Nowadays, though, they have developed a complexity that defies this system. Hence, they have all developed the Performance and/or Songbook as the way to call up what you need for a particular song. Once you bow to the inevitable, most of them operate as easily as any other. You do the grunt work in advance, and simply call up the title.

Without that, each one has shortcomings to work live without using these tools. Thing is, each one has DIFFERENT roadblocks to 'free panel' usage. But they all make it harder than it used to be. I doubt, however, that many would want to go back to an arranger so simple, it COULD be run easily from the front panel!

Deane, perhaps you would be a little more specific about what it is that irks you to the point of selling it, and explain how other modern arrangers manage to make it that much simpler...?